The problem with popular sayings is that some of these are too close to the bone, even if they are apt to suit a situation. So the RBI Governor, Dr Raghuram Rajan, had to apologise for his describing the Indian economy as `one-eyed Jack' in the blindmen's bluff that is the world economy.

Surely it is better to be one-eyed rather than be blind to reality. But two of the Union ministers, Nirmala Sitaraman first and Arun Jaitley next, took exception to Raghuram ruling without much thinking.

Knowing people take the sayings too literally and not figuratively, and vice versa, regardless of the saying, Raghuram apologised instead to the visually challenged people that if they were hurt by his reference to the blind and the one-eyed Jack, he was extremely sorry.

Raghuram explained that he was only trying to say the Indian economy was faring good by referring to the saying at the National Institute of Bank Management in Pune on Wednesday.

He regretted that instead of seeing the true meaning of the saying, the people were seeing a Chimera in it.

Raghuram wished to be forgiven if he had hurt anybody by his use of the one-eyed Jack proverb.